Automatic traveling vehicle and storage facility thereof

Abstract

An automatic traveling vehicle includes a vehicle structure including a first top plate, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute a storage mode when a storage execution condition is satisfied. The storage mode includes a storage posture formation process of causing the vehicle to automatically travel so as to take a predetermined storage posture together with a counterpart automatic traveling vehicle. In the storage posture, the vehicle is in a superposition state in which the vehicle overlaps with the counterpart vehicle in a plan view, or a parallel state in which the vehicle is lined up with the counterpart vehicle while the first top plate and a second top plate of the counterpart vehicle are standing and facing each other so as to be parallel to or substantially parallel to a vertical direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automatic traveling vehicle, comprising:
 a vehicle structure including a first top plate having an upper surface configured for a user to ride on or for a luggage to be placed on, the vehicle structure includes a frame configured to support the first top plate, the frame is formed such that one end of the frame in a vehicle front-rear direction opens in a plan view and a width of the frame in a vehicle left-right direction is narrower toward a side of a remaining end of the frame in the vehicle front-rear direction; and 
 one or more electronic control units configured to execute automatic travel control of the automatic traveling vehicle, wherein 
 the one or more electronic control units are configured to execute a storage mode being one of modes of the automatic travel control when a storage execution condition for moving the automatic traveling vehicle to a storage facility is satisfied, 
 the storage mode includes a storage posture formation process of causing the automatic traveling vehicle to automatically travel so as to take a predetermined storage posture in the storage facility together with one or more other automatic traveling vehicles having a same configuration as the automatic traveling vehicle, 
 in the storage posture, the automatic traveling vehicle is in a superposition state in which the automatic traveling vehicle overlaps with the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles in a plan view, or a parallel state in which the automatic traveling vehicle is lined up with the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles while the first top plate and a second top plate are standing and facing each other so as to be parallel to or substantially parallel to a vertical direction, the second top plate being included in each of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles, 
 in the storage posture formation process, the one or more electronic control units are configured to cause the automatic traveling vehicle to automatically travel such that the frame of the automatic traveling vehicle is inserted into an opening of a frame of one of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles, and 
 in the storage posture, the automatic traveling vehicle is in the superposition state. 
 
     
     
       2. The automatic traveling vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first top plate of the automatic traveling vehicle is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft provided on a side of the remaining end such that the side of the one end is lifted. 
 
     
     
       3. The automatic traveling vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the storage execution condition is satisfied when a task of the automatic traveling vehicle disappears. 
 
     
     
       4. The automatic traveling vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more electric motors for vehicle traveling; and 
 a power storage device configured to supply electric power to the one or more electric motors, wherein 
 the storage execution condition is satisfied when a charge rate of the power storage device drops to or below a threshold value or when it is time to charge the power storage device. 
 
     
     
       5. The automatic traveling vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the storage execution condition is satisfied when an automatic traveling function of the automatic traveling vehicle is not impaired but a failure occurs in the automatic traveling vehicle. 
 
     
     
       6. An automatic traveling vehicle, according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a vehicle structure including a first top plate having an upper surface configured for a user to ride on or for a luggage to be placed on; 
 a slope; and 
 one or more electronic control units configured to execute automatic travel control of the automatic traveling vehicle, wherein 
 the one or more electronic control units are configured to execute a storage mode being one of modes of the automatic travel control when a storage execution condition for moving the automatic traveling vehicle to a storage facility is satisfied, 
 the storage mode includes a storage posture formation process of causing the automatic traveling vehicle to automatically travel so as to take a predetermined storage posture in the storage facility together with one or more other automatic traveling vehicles having a same configuration as the automatic traveling vehicle, 
 in the storage posture, the automatic traveling vehicle is in a superposition state in which the automatic traveling vehicle overlaps with the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles in a plan view, or a parallel state in which the automatic traveling vehicle is lined up with the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles while the first top plate and a second top plate are standing and facing each other so as to be parallel to or substantially parallel to a vertical direction, the second top plate being included in each of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles, 
 the slope is formed so as to extend from one end of the first top plate in a vehicle front-rear direction and configured to guide one of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles so as to ride on the first top plate, and 
 in the storage posture, the automatic traveling vehicle is in the superposition state in cooperation with one of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles riding on the first top plate. 
 
     
     
       7. The automatic traveling vehicle according to  claim 6 , further comprising an instrument or device foldably installed on the upper surface of the first top plate, wherein
 the upper surface of the first top plate includes a storage groove formed to store the instrument or device. 
 
     
     
       8. The automatic traveling vehicle according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the first top plate includes one or more guide grooves formed so as to guide one of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles riding on the first top plate by using the slope. 
 
     
     
       9. A storage facility that stores a plurality of automatic traveling vehicles, each of the plurality automatic traveling vehicles includes a vehicle structure including a first top plate having an upper surface configured for a user to ride on or for a luggage to be placed on; and
 one or more electronic control units configured to execute automatic travel control of the automatic traveling vehicle, wherein 
 the one or more electronic control units are configured to execute a storage mode being one of modes of the automatic travel control when a storage execution condition for moving the automatic traveling vehicle to a storage facility is satisfied, 
 the storage mode includes a storage posture formation process of causing the automatic traveling vehicle to automatically travel so as to take a predetermined storage posture in the storage facility together with one or more other automatic traveling vehicles having a same configuration as the automatic traveling vehicle, 
 in the storage posture, the automatic traveling vehicle is in a superposition state in which the automatic traveling vehicle overlaps with the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles in a plan view, or a parallel state in which the automatic traveling vehicle is lined up with the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles while the first top plate and a second top plate are standing and facing each other so as to be parallel to or substantially parallel to a vertical direction, the second top plate being included in each of the one or more other automatic traveling vehicles, 
 the storage facility comprising: 
 a mobile platform including a climbing section where the automatic traveling vehicle that is automatically traveling by the storage posture formation process climbs, and a falling section located in front of the climbing section in a traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle and formed to drop the automatic traveling vehicle, the mobile platform being configured to be movable in a direction parallel to the traveling direction; 
 a storage location where the plurality of automatic traveling vehicles after falling in order from the falling section are arranged side by side in a direction parallel to the traveling direction in an inverted state; and 
 one or more supports configured to support the plurality of automatic traveling vehicles in the inverted state, wherein 
 the plurality of automatic traveling vehicles take the storage posture in the superposition state or the parallel state at the storage location. 
 
     
     
       10. The storage facility according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the storage execution condition is satisfied when a task of the automatic traveling vehicle disappears. 
 
     
     
       11. The storage facility according to  claim 9 , wherein
 each of the plurality of the automatic traveling vehicles further includes: 
 one or more electric motors for vehicle traveling; and 
 a power storage device configured to supply electric power to the one or more electric motors, wherein 
 the storage execution condition is satisfied when a charge rate of the power storage device drops to or below a threshold value or when it is time to charge the power storage device. 
 
     
     
       12. The storage facility according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the storage execution condition is satisfied when an automatic traveling function of one or more of the plurality of the automatic traveling vehicles are not impaired but a failure occurs in the one or more of the plurality of the automatic traveling vehicles.